The Rider You Don't Want to be Next To....

[Gone in 60]

So, how many of you have come across a rider who behaves so poorly that you just want to distance yourself from him?

This happened to me yesterday. After I said my goodbyes to my new friends at the finish location following the DGR, it was close enough to the coast that I decided to ride back up Pacific Coast Highway to the road that would lead me home. As I enjoyed my serene ride and enjoyed the ocean view, now by myself and not pressured with the herd of other DGR riders, I noticed two bikes coming up from behind. 

One of the riders was clearly also on the DGR, and was probably headed home in my direction as well. The other was a young guy on an R1 with a rather loud exhaust. He was sporting a white t-shirt and jeans, with his only protective gear being a helmet and gloves. The DGR rider pulled up behind and to my left in the lane, while the R1 guy rode out a ways in the next lane over. 

Being late afternoon, with several large beach parking lots starting to empty out, a few cars at a time were pulling out of the lots onto the highway. Every now and then, a car would pull out onto the road ahead of our group of three riders, but none so close that we'd have to brake hard or take evasive action. However, each one of them seemed to so offend the R1 rider that he'd pull up along side said car, rev his bike to the limiter and glare menacingly at them. Then, at the next traffic light, he'd look back at us with his arms stretched out, motioning something to the effect of "Can you believe that guy?" At which point, the other DGR rider and I would look at each other and shake our heads a bit, motioning "Wow, was that really necessary?"

After it happened three times, it became clear that attracting someone to get mad at was the R1 rider's pass time. And at that point, the other DGR rider and I slowed and changed lanes, allowing a row of cars to get in front of us, separating us from R1 Guy and any inference that we might be riding with him. And letting us get back to our serene, stress-free ride.

[Cormanus]

If, like me, you seldom ride with anyone else, such things are not a problem. However, had I been confronted with similar circumstances, I'd have done exactly what you did: distance myself from the clown as quickly as possible. There are plenty of them about. I was on a group ride a number of years ago where there was a bloke who insisted on riding in the right hand lane where there may have been on-coming traffic (remember we drive on the left in Australia) and pulling wheelies at 100 kph. OK, so he's a clever guy, but I'm damned if I want to ride with him. Happily he disappeared quickly enough and the ride continued.

[pdedse]

While not riding with them, I have seen other mc riders gesticulating obvious displeasure at car drivers, and I've thought to myself "what was so bad?". I've seen lots of youtube videos where riders try to extract their "pound of flesh" for perceived injustices. I figure: people not seeing me...it's gonna happen, and it has happened numerous times. I remember on a short 15 minute ride home from work I nearly got hit 3 times. In a few instances, they know what they did and wave apologetically and I wave back to acknowledge them. Things can escalate very quickly. I don't want a driver to swerve into me because I "let them have it" after a near miss. People make mistakes while driving. I know I have.

I your situation, I would have pulled over and stopped for a photo.

[MagnaRider]

I just saw one of those on my commute to work the other day. Young kid on a Suzuki GSX (well I guess he was my age lol). Watched him almost get hit twice trying to pass people where he shouldn't have been. Funny enough he pulls into my work parking lot so I work with him i guess... I wanted to ask how long he had been riding but never got the chance.

[Whoops]

I really don't like other bikers making it harder for the public to accept motorcycles, especially here where we have not had lane filtering for very long. I want automobiles to like motorcycles so they will make room for us at lights, but I don't feel like a lot of people here like the filtering concept. 

A few weeks ago I was  driving down a city street that has 3 lanes in each direction and I happened to casually pass two riders on Harley Davidson bikes. Not sure if they just didn't like another bike passing them or they didn't like metric bikes, but they made it a point to surprise pass me IN MY LANE very loudly. I then watched as they weaved in and out of cars asserting their dominance. They scared the crap out of me when they passed me. I know Harley's often get a bad rep, but this was the first time I have experienced someone on a motorcycle trying to intimidate another person on a motorcycle. I can only imagine how the 10-15 cars they passed in a similar fashion will use that experience to decide whether or not to extend any courtesy to a motorcycle in the future. I wouldn't blame them if they don't and that makes me upset at those idiots for making life on two wheels more difficult. The idiots are winning. 

[Gone in 60]

Very interesting, Whoops. Utah is in that tenuous position of having recently approved lane filtering, so drivers will either be welcome to riders practicing it or not. Has the state done much in the way of public awareness to educate drivers to filtering to try to make it seem more acceptable?

In California of course, since we've been doing it forever, it's just part of the driving culture. If I do filter, which isn't too often, (usually just when I'm at or approaching an intersection that I know will take me a few cycles of traffic lights to get through) drivers will scoot over and make room for me whether I need it or not. Guys in large trucks have pulled their mirrors in for me.

I was at such an intersection yesterday on the way home from work, and was sitting between lanes at the head of an intersection, when a loud, revving Harley came up behind me. There was enough room for me and my Triumph to move up to the front, so he didn't need to be dramatic, but he was, blipping his throttle repeatedly as he moved up behind me. I did my best to get out in front of traffic and move over a bit when the light turned green so he could scream past, exerting his dominance.

[Whoops]

Very interesting, Whoops. Utah is in that tenuous position of having recently approved lane filtering, so drivers will either be welcome to riders practicing it or not. Has the state done much in the way of public awareness to educate drivers to filtering to try to make it seem more acceptable?

In California of course, since we've been doing it forever, it's just part of the driving culture. If I do filter, which isn't too often, (usually just when I'm at or approaching an intersection that I know will take me a few cycles of traffic lights to get through) drivers will scoot over and make room for me whether I need it or not. Guys in large trucks have pulled their mirrors in for me.

I was at such an intersection yesterday on the way home from work, and was sitting between lanes at the head of an intersection, when a loud, revving Harley came up behind me. There was enough room for me and my Triumph to move up to the front, so he didn't need to be dramatic, but he was, blipping his throttle repeatedly as he moved up behind me. I did my best to get out in front of traffic and move over a bit when the light turned green so he could scream past, exerting his dominance.

I have heard very little after the initial lane filtering bill was passed to bring public awareness, but then I don't really pay attention to news these days. In my experience more drivers are aware now than a couple years ago when filtering was introduced. It also seems more drivers make room now when I am approaching than in the past. However, I now also put my hi-beams on to make me more visible when I filter, so perhaps that's why more people are moving over.

Unfortunately I frequently see other riders (again mostly harleys) shoot through traffic where it isn't legal, such as freeways, and also when traffic is still moving. Our representaves have also noticed and are in the process of passing a new bill to target people that are abusing filtering by essentially lane splitting. I don't mean to single out Harley riders in particular, it's just the majority of the motorcycles here are cruiser style bikes like HD's. On a positive note, our House did pass HB311 a while back though which now allows filtering on freeway off-ramps. So there's that.

[Gone in 60]

Very interesting, Whoops. Utah is in that tenuous position of having recently approved lane filtering, so drivers will either be welcome to riders practicing it or not. Has the state done much in the way of public awareness to educate drivers to filtering to try to make it seem more acceptable?

In California of course, since we've been doing it forever, it's just part of the driving culture. If I do filter, which isn't too often, (usually just when I'm at or approaching an intersection that I know will take me a few cycles of traffic lights to get through) drivers will scoot over and make room for me whether I need it or not. Guys in large trucks have pulled their mirrors in for me.

I was at such an intersection yesterday on the way home from work, and was sitting between lanes at the head of an intersection, when a loud, revving Harley came up behind me. There was enough room for me and my Triumph to move up to the front, so he didn't need to be dramatic, but he was, blipping his throttle repeatedly as he moved up behind me. I did my best to get out in front of traffic and move over a bit when the light turned green so he could scream past, exerting his dominance.

I have heard very little after the initial lane filtering bill was passed to bring public awareness, but then I don't really pay attention to news these days. In my experience more drivers are aware now than a couple years ago when filtering was introduced. It also seems more drivers make room now when I am approaching than in the past. However, I now also put my hi-beams on to make me more visible when I filter, so perhaps that's why more people are moving over.

Unfortunately I frequently see other riders (again mostly harleys) shoot through traffic where it isn't legal, such as freeways, and also when traffic is still moving. Our representaves have also noticed and are in the process of passing a new bill to target people that are abusing filtering by essentially lane splitting. I don't mean to single out Harley riders in particular, it's just the majority of the motorcycles here are cruiser style bikes like HD's. On a positive note, our House did pass HB311 a while back though which now allows filtering on freeway off-ramps. So there's that.

Very interesting. It will take quite a while for everyone to get used to it. One of the interesting things about California... for years it was accepted and part of the culture, but filtering and splitting were practiced because there was no specific law prohibiting either of them. It wasn't until maybe '09 or '10 that it was actually codified. There was a public awareness campaign for while, but it didn't really have a lot of impact, as most drivers were so used to the practice.